Spend A Day In Someone Else’s Snowshoes
There are ways to enjoy winter in West Michigan just a little bit more. For instance, if your honey found you just the right pair of snowshoes and proudly presented them to you on Christmas morning. But now what do you do? You book a winter getaway to Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan. Experience the beauty of Michigan winters in a whole new way! Hey, even if you did not get snowshoes, you can still rent a pair to see if you like them. And our innkeepers can help you out with that!
Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, nor time unmake what poets know.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Imagine Your Day Of Winter Fun
Just imagine the kind of weekend you could have. You wake up in The Christy Suite at Wickwood with the fireplace blazing in the early morning light and your in-room coffee is brewing. You wipe the sleep from your eyes and smell the Glazed Apple Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce. Hear the faint sound of Ethereal Scrambled Eggs and Glazed Country Ham being prepared in the kitchen for all the guests at breakfast. It doesn’t take long before you realize this is the day that you both decided to experience new adventures through a Saugatuck winter. You layer up with wool socks and a cotton plaid shirt and make your way downstairs.
As you talk with other guests at breakfast, you meet another couple planning to snowshoe and ski as well, and decide to go together! With a warm adieu to the Wickwood staff in the foyer, you make the short 10-minute drive down to Saugatuck Dunes State Park to start your day of adventure on your weekend winter getaway.
You have your snowshoes to break in, but your new friends need to rent some cross-country skis. You take a quick stop at Landmark in Saugatuck, and for just $14 a day, they’ve rented skis for their winter adventure. Your plan is to spend the morning breathing in the fresh air at Saugatuck Dune State Park and then head 25 minutes east to The Allegan State Game Area which opens to skiers on January 1.
First, stop at Uncommon Grounds for a coffee to go. Then, you strap on your snowshoes and skis and begin navigating the forested woods of Saugatuck Dune State Park. With a trail map in hand, you choose a path. What’s that you hear? The chitter chatter of a chickadee family up in the trees calls hello to you down below. You look over the other shoulder and see an owl sweeping majestically through the high branches. And as luck would have it, a blue jay is spotted before you call it quits at the dunes. The fresh Michigan winter air takes your breath away but fills you up at the same time.
It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it.
~ John Burroughs
This was the perfect Christmas gift, you say to your honey, looking down at your new snowshoes. This could be addictive, you think.
Thankful you dress in layers, you remove one layer as the midday sun begins to warm you up. You traverse through some of the 15 miles of woods, and in front of you is the winter sun reflecting off the frost of Saugatuck Oval Beach. It’s just as beautiful in wintertime as it is in the summer, you think.
You rub your hands together for warmth, and the four of you agree that it’s time for lunch and a change of scenery. It’s time for a refreshing stop for gyros at Lucy’s Sauggy Dollar Bar and some handmade truffles from Kilwin’s Chocolates for later. Then you drive to Allegan State Game Area to explore the 50,000 acres of family fun. The moisture in the air has created a sparkly dazzling frost today. You can’t help but stop and take pictures everywhere you turn.
Winter is your new favorite season, and you have snowshoes to thank for that! A winter getaway is all you need to appreciate this time of year.
Make your way back to the Inn, just in time for Sips and Small Plates at 6pm. Taste cheeses and chutneys from the charcuterie board, along with the Roasted Basil & Tomato Tart. They are just what you need after a long day trudging happily through the snow. Your friend circle grows during this popular hour at Wickwood Inn as you tell tales of your snowy day to other guests. For a moment, you look down and wonder where your snowshoes went. Tomorrow, we will put them on again tomorrow, you say to yourself.
Now head back to your room and don the cozy Kashmere robes. Curl up in the cozy armchair in front of the fireplace. You eagerly anticipate another snowy adventure tomorrow through Saugatuck as you see the fireplace flicker on.
Want to make this all a reality?
Give us a call at Wickwood Inn and the staff would be happy to help customize your winter getaway and arrange for a snowshoeing and cross-country skiing adventure in Saugatuck, Michigan!